The Call To Courage
by RaeAngel
Summary: A BuffyAngelCharmedCarnivale x-over. The Slayer, her friends and allies team up with the Charmed Ones to battle the First Evil that went back in the 1930s in an attempt to alter history.


**Disclaimer:** _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ and _Angel _belong to Joss Wheldon, _Charmed _belongs to the WB and _Carnivale _belongs to Daniel Kauf. The songs in this story belong to the songwriters who wrote these amazing songs. Please don't sue me, I'm completely and utterly broke and it's for entertainment purposes only.

**Timeline:** Pre-_Chosen_ AU, _Buffy_, Post-season 4; _Angel, _Post-season 5; _Charmed_ and at the beginning of season 1; _Carnivale_.

**Rating:** T (PG-13 for those who are not used to the new system yet.) There will be chapters that will be rated R (or M) in the story.

**Category(ies):** Romance/Supernatural, Action/Adventure, Horror

**Main Characters:** Dawn, Ben, Buffy, Spike, Piper, Leo, Cole

**Pairing(s):** Buffy/Spike, Dawn/Ben (something new!), Willow/Kennedy/Justin (very different!), Piper/Cole (also something new!), Piper/Ben (friendship), Buffy/Ben (friendship), Angel/Cordelia.

**Author's Note:** I got the idea for this story after watching a rerun of _Carnviale _on TV and the series finale of _Buffy the Vampire Slayer _on DVD (for the third time). So before I get on with the story, here's the lowdown.

There will be a love triangle between Willow, Kennedy and Brother Justin as I indicated in the pairings. So there will be a huge rilvary between Kennedy and Brother Justin (just to add a little more fire to the story). May the best man (or girl) win!

This is an alternate universe story for _Buffy, Angel _and _Charmed_. Everything that happened in season 7 happened except for the series finale. Everything in season 4 of _Angel _happened except for the whole Cordelia-turned-evil-and-fell-into-a-coma bit. In the _Charmed _universe, everything in season 5 happened and goes into season 6. Cole was indeed vaniquished but somehow was sent back by the PTB to repay a debt and is currently with Angel and the rest of the characters in the _Angel _universe. Cole was with the Fang Gang for all of season 4 of _Angel_.

Ben's powers will be explained in the story with a _Charmed-_like twist and will be connected to one of the characters in the _Charmed _universe magically.

Brother Justin's powers will also be explained but with a _Buffy_-like twist and he will be connected to one of the characters in the _Buffy_ (or _Angel_)universe magically.

**WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!** To give the ending of this chapter a bit of spice, I turned to one of my own stories for inspiration. The ending is based on the first chapter from the story _Reign Of Fire_, a _Buffy/Troy _crossover.

The story will begin in the beginning of the _Buffy _episode _Chosen_ and end in the _Carnivale _episode _Outside New Canaan, CA_.

A family mystery surounding Buffy, Dawn and Brother Justin will be revealed later on in the story.

Well, that it for now. Enjoy the story and please review! No flames, please.

**Summary:** Preparing for the final battle against the First Evil, Buffy and the Scoobies, along with the Potiental Slayers, are hit with a nasty surprise when Giles uncovered a prophesy involving them, Angel and his gang, a group of witches known as the Charmed Ones, and a young man from the past (Ben) destined to fight along the side of good. Then the First Evil decides to take the battle back in time to the 1930s in a devious attempt to alter history. Meanwhile in Los Angeles, Angel is tormented by a series of horrifying nightmares that will set in motion a series of events that will force them and the Angel Investigations gang and the Charmed Ones to team up with the Slayer, her friends and allies to go back in time to the 1930s in a heroic attempt to defeat the First Evil and save the world.

**The Call To Courage**

**By RaeAngel**

_In the time of the seventh century, a young seer named Nathyus foretold a battle between good and evil where two men are destined to fight each other. One on the side of good, the other evil. He also foretold the battle of an ancient evil so powerful no-one would dare to hope to defeat it. All but a young woman known as the Slayer and her allies. These allies would include three sister witches, a demon, two Whitelighters, two vampires with souls, a group of Slayers-In-Waiting and the man who fights for the side of good. Together they will fight this ancient evil and defeat it while in the process, the man who fights on the side of evil will be redeemed and go back to the side of good for the love of a woman will change all of that. _

_But many in the world rejected Nathyus's prediction and it was buried and forgotten for hundreds of years until now when the prophesy began to come true when an ancient evil force known as the First Evil began to wreak chaos across the world. The current Slayer, a young woman named Buffy Summers is now fighting the First Evil with her allies and a group of Slayers-In-Waiting just as Nathyus predicted hundreds of years ago. But they are not alone, the three sister witches also known as the Charmed Ones have also begun to fight off the First Evil. And so the story begins … _

**May 23, 2003**

**Los Angeles, California**

_Angel found himself standing in a large cornfield in the middle of nowhere. What he saw made the hair at the back of his neck stand up and his eyes widened in horror. A man wearing a white shirt and black pants was running away from another man. The other man had a large tatoo of a tree on his chest. Then the scenery changed to a battlefield in a different time period which Angel recgonized as the First World War. Then he saw two soilders, both of them carrying rifes, running toward each other. One soilder fired his weapon at the other. Then again, the scenery changed to a hill with a large tree on top of it. Angel turned to his left and saw a man dressed entirely of black carrying a knife. Then he turned to his right and saw a much younger man dressed in demin pants and a long sleeved shirt. He too was carrying a knife and was running toward him with it. Angel turned and saw that the other man was running toward him. Angel went to run out of the way …._

Angel woke up with sweat pouring down his face and flung from his bed breathing heavily. It had been the seventh time in nearly three weeks since he began having strange but horrifying nightmares. All of them invovling a young man and a preacher, which was strange but Angel knew that it was serious and serious enough to bring up with the gang at the meeting. Suddenly wanting to check the time, he glanced at his alarm clock and saw that it was close to 5:30 in the evening. Knowing that there wasn't any point on going back to sleep, Angel got out of bed and got dressed in his usual dark suit. Then just as he was about to walk out the door to go to his office, he saw that two of his friends, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce and Cole Turner, were standing in the doorway of his room.

"I see that you're already up, Angel." Cole said.

Angel gave him an even stare. "If I ever wanted you as an alarm clock, Cole, I'll let you know." He said sarcastically. Cole Turner was a demon who was vanquished by a trio of witches known as the Charmed Ones and was sent back to Earth by the Powers That Be to repay a debt that was owed to them when Cole made a deal with the PTB after he was turned in a human just in case he became a demon again. When he was turned back into a demon and was vanquished, Cole had to come back on Earth to atone for his evil ways stripped of his demonic powers and given Whitelighter abilities and therefore, he was forced to work alongside with Angel and his friends and had done so for the past year.

_It was because of Cole that Cordelia never turned evil when he figured out the Beast's plan and helped us stop it. _Angel thought. He remembered how grateful he was for everything the ex-demon did to save Cordelia. Suddenly remembering what he had gotten up for, he shook the thoughts out of his head and turned to Cole and Wesley.

"Get everybody up in my office right away." Angel said in a serious voice.

Cole and Wesley stared at each other before glancing back at their friend with confused expressions on their faces.

"Why? What's going on?" Cole asked.

"Is something wrong?" Wesley chined in.

Angel gave his friends a serious look. "I don't know. But I think something is about to happen." He said.

**Meanwhile …**

Cordelia Chase brushed her hair intently to get all of the knots out of it before moving on to put make-up on. Ever since Angel had those mysterious dreams, she hadn't had a good night's sleep because she always had visions of whatever Angel had been dreaming about. In every vision, it always ended with a young man and a preacher. It was strange and frightening at the same time and Cordelia had no idea why she was getting all of those visions.

_That's one question that I would like answered. I gotta consider asking the PTB if I could only have visions that don't cause pain. _

After checking her outfit, which was a dark brown shirt and demin pants, Cordelia went to the door and opened it to see that Cole Turner was standing at the doorway.

_Great. Him. _Cordelia thought. "What the hell do you want, Cole?" She snapped.

"Well, good evening to you too, Cordelia." Cole said sounding slightly insulted. "Angel sent me to get you for …"

"Let me guess," Cordelia interrupted in a frustrated voice. "The meeting."

Cole nodded. "He won't say why we're having it so early though." He said.

"I think I might have an idea why." Cordelia said. "But I'll wait till we get there before I say anything." Then she added. "Although, I would like some answers as to why I keep getting these visions every time Angel has those dreams."

"Still having those visions?" Cole asked suddenly concerned.

"Got hit with another one earlier today." Cordelia replied. "Worst one yet. Like I said, I would like to know why I'm getting them."

"Does Angel know you're getting these visions?" Cole asked.

Cordelia shook her head. "No." she answered. "I haven't told him yet and I'm going to when we arrive at the meeting."

Cole checked his watch. "Well, if you're going, then I suggest we go if you don't want to be late." He turned and walked out of the doorway with Cordelia close behind him. Then he stopped and grabbed onto Cordelia's hand.

"What the hell are you doing?" Cordelia demanded.

"We're going to orb to the meeting." Cole replied.

"Oh." Cordelia said in relief then she glanced at the ex-demon in shock. "What a minute, no! No way!" But before she could pull away, she and Cole orbed from the hallway into the conference room.

And landed right on Charles Gunn and in front of Fred Berke, Wesley and Lorne. Cole was on top of Gunn while Cordelia was in between Cole's legs and she managed to untangle herself but was having trouble getting up.

"Hey!" Gunn shouted struggling to untangle himself from Cole and Cordelia. "What the hell was that?"

"Sorry, Gunn." Cordelia apologized. "Cole's landing needs a lot of work."

"I'd say." Lorne said with a grin. "Angel Boy could use some lessons in orbing and landing."

Fred and Wesley laughed heartly. Cole glared at them and Lorne and got up from off the floor muttering his apologies to Gunn who only nodded and took his place at the table. Angel sat the end of the table while Cordelia, Fred, Wesley, Lorne and Cole took their places at the table then the meeting began.

"Now, Angel. Would you mind telling us why you calling this meeting at 5:30 in the evening?" Gunn asked. "Before it's even dark out there?"

"I called this meeting because of something that happened to me earlier tonight." Angel replied. "As you all know, I've been having these dreams that involve a young man and a preacher. I've been having these same dreams every night for the past three weeks and somehow, I'm beginning to think that it may have something to do with Buffy's war against the First Evil."

Everyone was now concerned. "What makes you think that all of these dreams have something to do with the First Evil?" Wesley asked.

Angel paused before he spoke. "Because I saw something in one of my dreams that made me think that. I saw some kind of an ancient tomb for an British seer, that was said to be contained a prophesy involving the Slayer and the First Evil predicted hundreds of years ago. It is rumored to be said that not only is the Slayer destined to fight the First Evil but a young man from the past who is destined to fight for the side of good as well."

Wesley was about to say something when a loud roar ripped through the building. It sounded like an airplane flying up close only it wasn't a plane that everyone was hearing. Wesley got up from his chair and saw that the sky was now pitch black when it had been sunny out before. A bolt of lightening split the sky and it hit a building across the street from the Wolfram and Hart building. Shocked, Wesley quickly backed away and stared back at Angel, Cordelia, Gunn, Lorne and Cole with a horrified expression on his face.

"What the hell was that?" Gunn asked.

"Lightening." Wesley replied in a shaky voice. "But, I've never seen lightening strike like that."

Gunn, Cordelia, Fred and Cole went to the window, looked out and saw another bolt of lightening hit the window of a restaurant. Then they looked down to see people running and screaming in terror. Then a rain of fire decended down onto the streets below destroying everyone and everything in its path.

"Oh, my God." Gunn said in a shaky voice.

"Dear Jesus." Cole agreed also in a shaky voice.

Angel took a look out the window and recoiled in horror at the chaos outside. "Hell."

"What the hell is going on?" Cordelia said in a horrified voice.

"I have no idea." Cole replied. Then he turned to Wesley who had a look on his face that indicated to him that he might have an explaination for what was going on.

"Wes, what is it?" Cole asked.

"I heard of the prophesy that Angel was talking about." Wesley said. "If I'm correct, then Angel's dreams and what's going on out there could be connected." Then he went to the door to the conference room.

"Where are you going?" Angel asked.

"To prove my theory." Wesley replied.

**San Francisco, California**

**Meanwhile …**

"Are these sons of bitches always this hard to vanquish?" Piper Halliwell growled in frustration as she fought with a demon with no eyes but with knifes in their hands. Ever since they arrived in San Francisco months ago, Piper and her sisters Phoebe and Paige had been keeping themselves busy struggling to fight them and protect their house and any innocent that got in the way.

_Espectaly Wyatt. _Piper thought thinking of her son. She turned to see that her husband and former Whitelighter, Leo Wyatt, was also struggling with another demon but managed to hit it in the stomach with one of the knives killing it.

"Screw this." Piper muttered and she kicked the remaining demon in the stomach then blew it up. Then she ran to Leo to check him over.

"Are you okay?" Leo asked her.

"Yeah." Piper said. "And I will feel so much better when we know what the hell they are and what they want."

Leo was about to say something when one of the Elders, a woman named Alyssa, orbed into the room with a grim expression on her face and a look in her eyes that meant that she had some bad news.

_This can't be good. _Leo thought as he spoke to her. "What have you found out?"

"These beings that attacked you." Alyssa said. "They're not demons. They are called Bringers and they work for a very powerful and ancient evil force known as the First Evil."

Leo was now worried and concerned. "The First Evil. But didn't the Elders deal with the First Evil long ago?"

"Yes. But unfortnately, it has been waitng for centuries to strike." Alyssa replied. "For many months, it has been sending Bringers all over the world on one simple mission: to destroy the Slayer line and kill any Whitelighter that gets in their way."

_My God. _Leo thought in shock and horror over what he heard but no-one was even more shocked than Piper. She looked as though she was ready to pass out and was freaking out.

"So you're saying that the First Evil has been killing Potiental Slayers all over the world even here?" Piper asked.

Alyssa nodded. "It's also responsible for the explosion that destroyed the headquarters to the Watcher's Council killing everyone. Luckily, some Whitelighters saved some of the Potiental Slayers who were living there and took them to Sunnydale for protection and training."

"Who's training them if their Watchers were killed?" Piper asked.

"The current Slayer and Leo's former charge, Buffy Summers." Alyssa answered. "Like you, and your sisters, Piper, Buffy is also fighting against the First Evil and she has a plan to fight the First head on…"

Piper narrowed her eyes when Alyssa paused. "But? I'm hearing a 'but' here." She said.

"But the First Evil has a different plan. One, which will affect us all." Alyssa replied. "They are going back in time to the past in an attempt to alter history and reverse what we did to banish it long ago. A plan that if successful will destroy us all."

"So you're asking us to go back in time and stop the First Evil?" Leo asked.

"Not just you, the Charmed Ones and Chris." Alyssa said. "But the Slayer, her friends and her allies in Los Angeles as well. It is all part of a prophesy that was written hundreds of years ago by a seventh century seer named Nathyus. It was said that also a young man from the past will also fight the First Evil along with a man of God who was born as a creature of darkness but will fight against evil all for the love of a woman. Both men are to fight one other in a battle in a cornfield."

"You're talking about the battle against a Whitelighter and a demon that happened seventy one years ago in New Canaan." Leo said in a knowing voice. "The demon was a pastor and the Whitelighter was a young furative who was taken in by a traveling carnival."

"Very good, Leo." Alyssa said. "Yes. The pastor's name was Brother Justin Crowe and the young Whitelighter's name was Ben Hawkins. He defeated Brother Justin in that battle seventy-one years ago with our help. That was also the time when we banished the First Evil."

"That's what the First Evil is going to do," Piper said realizing what the First Evil is planning to do. "To reverse the outcome of the battle so that Brother Justin would defeat Ben instead of the other way around and to keep the prophesy from coming true." Then she realized something else. "Both of these men are in the prophesy, are they?"

Alyssa nodded. "Both of these men are to fight alongside you against the First Evil and Brother Justin is prophesied to turn away from his dark calling all for the love of a woman. Who she is, we don't know yet. But we do know this. Like Brother Justin, she too was evil but turned to the dark side under tragic circumstances."

"That sounds like Buffy's friend Willow." Leo said. "But I just don't think that she could be the one that Brother Justin could give up his dark ways for…"

"Because she's gay?" Alyssa said with a smile. "I think you underestimate the will of the Powers That Be, Leo. Even that could change." Then her expression turned serious again.

"The only way to stop the First Evil is to gather everyone and meet the Slayer in Sunnydale. Tell her what I have told you and then when you are ready we will teleport you to the past. Godspeed and good luck to you." Alyssa said then she orbed out. Piper and Leo glanced at each other before Leo broke the silence.

"Call Phoebe and Paige. Prepare them for the news."

**Sunnydale, California**

**Meanwhile …**

_**When you love someone**_

_**You'd do anything**_

_**You'd do all the crazy things that**_

_**You can't explain**_

_**You'll shoot the moon, put out the sun**_

_**When you love someone**_

_Willow found herself standing in a beach and staring at a sight so familiar that she thought she was going to be sick. Bodies everywhere of girls and Whitelighters. Whitelighters from another time and place. She walked barefoot into the sand and passed the bodies of the dead. She was wearing a beautiful white dress and her red hair was pulled back in a bun. Willow walked in front of what she assumed was a church. Standing in front of her was a handsome pastor with graying hair and with a face so handsome that Willow thought she was going to faint with shock. His dark eyes gazed at her green ones and he stepped forward toward her. He then took her face into his hands and kissed her. Willow felt herself being pulled away and she closed her eyes…._

Willow Rosenburg flew up from her bed in a sweat. She couldn't believe what she was dreaming. It was theeleventh time in three weeks she had been dreaming about the mysterious man she had been seeing only in her dreams. Thoughts raced into her mind.

_Who is this guy? Why am I dreaming about him?_

Seeing that there was no way that she was going back to sleep, Willow got up and went to the window. She looked up at the moon and thought about the mysterious handsome stranger from her dreams. _Was this a message from the Powers That Be? Who is he?_. To herself, she muttered.

"Who are you?"

**69 years into the past**

**Mintern, California**

_You'll deny the truth, believe a lie_

_There'll be times that you believe_

_That you could really fly_

_But your lonely nights have just begin_

_When you love someone_

_When you love someone_

_You feel it deep inside and nothing else_

_Could ever change your mind_

_When you want someone, when you need someone_

_When you love someone_

_Brother Justin stood in front of a church and stared the gruesome sight before him. Bodies of young men and women lying on the sand in the beach and blood everywhere. A light breeze cooled the summer air and the sky was darkening as the sun was going down. Then a sight froze Brother Justin in his tracks. A beautiful young woman wearing a beautiful white sleeveless dress with red hair pulled back into a bun was walking toward him. She was so beautiful that Brother Justin thought that he was going to collapse. He gazed at her beautiful green eyes and stepped toward her. Then Brother Justin took the woman's face into his hands and then kissed her. He forgot the world around him as he melted into her. And he…_

Brother Justin Crowe woke up in a sweat and breathed heavily. It was the eleventh time inthree weeksthat he had been dreaming about the beautiful young woman he had been seeing only in his dreams. He had no idea who she was. All he knew was that she was a beautiful woman and that she was a mystery. Too wide awake to go back to sleep, Brother Justin got up, walked out to his window and stared up into the sky, looking at the moon with thoughts racing in his mind.

_Who is she? Why am I dreaming about her? _

To himself, Brother Justin muttered, "Who are you?" unaware that the beautiful young woman he had been dreaming about was asking the same question about him sixty-nine years into the future in a place called Sunnydale, California.

_When you love someone_

_You'd saciface_

_Give it everything you've got_

_And you won't think twice_

_You'd risk it all no matter what may come_

_When you love someone_

_You'd shoot the moon, put out the sun_

_When you love someone_

**So, what do you think of this story so far? Please review and no flames please. Chapter two will be up soon. The song in this chapter is _When You Love Someone _by Bryan Adams. **


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